Ancient's Plea
by Aerith-Chan
Summary: Sephiroth awakens in the lifestream to find someone he didn't expect to meet, and to do something he doesn't want to do..


At first, nothing. Blackness surrounding his very soul clouded also his will to see.  
  
Then, a voice in the dark.  
  
"Get up."  
  
A harsh, yet rather kind voice. Female. Not at this point it makes any difference,  
  
he thought. I'm dead, and all is lost.  
  
"GET UP!"  
  
Aagin, the voice called. Odd, but it was strangely familiar to him. He heard  
  
the voice before, somewhere.Still, he did not move. What did it matter? Metor  
  
will strike soon, and they would all perish anyway; beyond life, or even the afterlife.  
  
"Look, you can think what you will. But as I still remain, I will bnot/b give up.  
  
Now rise!"  
  
Suddenly, he was pulled, pulled fro this blackness, into a greenish hue of..life.  
  
Sephiroth opened his eyes. A figure standing in front of him, kneeling, praying.  
  
Oh no...  
  
Was he being forced to relive this event again, that sickened even him?  
  
No. This place was different. he looked around; there was green, greenish-blue, auras   
  
everywhere.  
  
He was in the Lifestream.  
  
Why?  
  
"You are here because you are needed. the Planet needs you, Sephiroth. You must help."  
  
The same voice. only this time, it arose from the kneeling figure in front of him. He   
  
looked up.  
  
A screen of sorts. A picture of the world. Metor, heading toward that dreaded city called   
  
Midgar.  
  
He amlost smirked, Sephiroth did. Ironic that the most powerful city on the Planet would be   
  
the first top see it's demise.  
  
Fitting, almost. Well, ihe /i was glad to see it go.  
  
"Why do you think that way? Do you really want to see this Planet destroyed?  
  
Lives Lost? Sephiroth. you brought this...now, you must end it."  
  
"WHY?!" Sephiroth said, finally speaking.  
  
"Tell me that! So more will succumb to the evils of 'humanity'? Others die for  
  
the 'just causes' of the land rape called Science? The Planet should be ripped to  
  
shreds then! I will not stand here and save these lives if it means them creating another.."  
  
Sephiroth stopped. he suddenly realized the implications of his words and reflected  
  
on them. He blinked his eyes.  
  
And looked into dark green ones.  
  
"..Creating another you, Sephiroth?" the woman said.  
  
Sephiroth's eyes narrowed  
  
"Let them die"  
  
Next thing he knew, he was on the ground, looking up at the woman.  
  
She punched him! Hard.   
  
"How DARE you?!" She yelled, the tears rolling down her face, bits of  
  
pink and red fluttering about her." Are you so selfish as not to give these  
  
people a chance? To begin life anew? Shinra did you wrong..you, Lucrecia,  
  
myself..Do you not think I know this? But those who wronged you are dead!  
  
Isn't that enough? Must everyone...must the Planet die for you to  
  
have your revenge? I refuse to allow this to happen, to have these lives  
  
lost. As long as I exist, as long as hope remains, I will try with my   
  
whole being to counter this, even if my soul shatters!"   
  
The tears continued to fall as she stared at him. Sephiroth looked at her  
  
with..respect. He thought it was respect, anyway. For someone to give themselves  
  
up for others...it was a rare thing. Noble.  
  
She turned away, her braid bouncing, back facing him, and touched the screen.  
  
Again she prayed, she gave her power.  
  
Sephiroth's eyes widened. He finally found it-here, in the most  
  
unlikely of places..  
  
in the most unlikely of people.  
  
A reason to find hope in humanity.  
  
This trait, nobility...he did not have it. Did not see it, until now.  
  
Was this why she continued?  
  
The woman sighed.   
  
A whisper  
  
"I know you are not evil..You have good within you. Please Sephiroth..  
  
please help me."  
  
This moved him. Something inside his soul was awakened. But good?  
  
He doubted there was any left in him.  
  
So what was compelling him to move, to arise, to walk to the screen?  
  
To help?  
  
He peeked at the screen. Holy was failing. Despite the woman's efforts,  
  
her attempts were weakening, the power lessening.  
  
Another whisper.  
  
"Sephiroth.."  
  
A touch. A slight caress, maybe, but a touch nevertheless. Hand upon hand.  
  
A new strength flowing through her.   
  
Strength to save the Planet.  
  
She looked up, at Sephiroth. He nodded, and smiled at her.   
  
"For now, let's just say..you convinced me."  
  
"Convinced you of what?" She asked.  
  
"That life deserves a chance"  
  
He closed his eyes and began to pray.   
  
She channeled this strength, adding it to her own. Begging to keep the  
  
Planet safe.  
  
Suddenly, the screen changed.  
  
Lifestream flowed once more upon the Planet.  
  
center iSome time later../i /center  
  
Sephiroth sighed. Although the Planet was saved, well...he was dead.  
  
And not particulary eager to return to the Lifestream, a mere swirl of  
  
consciousness in the heart of the Planet.  
  
Also..he wanted company.  
  
He had grown rather fond of this woman, despite the fact that he, well..  
  
"Best not dwell on that".  
  
Sephiroth flinched. "What?"  
  
The women tapped her head "I ican/i read your thoughts, you know."  
  
He smiled. "Heh. I forgot about that."   
  
The woman stood there and sighed. She chose to remain with the Planet,  
  
as a guide, and not return to the Lifestream. It's true that it was  
  
partically because she wanted to watch over those she cared about.  
  
She felt that she could not leave, though. Not yet.   
  
She sighed again, and sat down. They were at that city, the old forgotten  
  
ruins next to the forest which slept once more.   
  
The city of Ancients.  
  
The woman turned, and looked at Sephiroth   
  
"What will you do, now that your task is done? Comtemplate over how  
  
oblivion could have been if we all vanished?"  
  
Sephiroth smirked. "No, I don't believe that was an option open to me".  
  
She grinned. She continued to tease him about things-but, considering  
  
what happened-what he did-she felt he could handle it.  
  
"What will you do then?"  
  
He thought about this. His choice. Should he..return? Would the  
  
Planet want him, ater all he did?  
  
A tugging at his soul. No. He needed to stay here..  
  
Stay..by her side..  
  
She stood up and looked at him. "iHe's still learning/i", she thought.  
  
"iStill realizing his mistakes. He does feel remorse, however..  
  
He's human after all./i"  
  
His heart was not evil, this she knew. "iHe's only misguided...  
  
Maybe, if he could see for himself why.../i"  
  
"The choice is made".  
  
She turned away, and looked down at the ruined city, smiling to herself.  
  
She took a liking to him, despite everything. "iMust be the hair../i"  
  
she thought.  
  
It was twilight, and the sun faintly shone over the heights of the  
  
trees. The reflection of the star glimmered in the pool of water,   
  
the crystal clear liquid a mirror into her soul.  
  
"You will stay with me" she said. "To see why this is all worth  
  
saving..and why life is worth living. Maybe then..." she trailed off.  
  
She turned to him, and held out her left hand.  
  
"Sephiroth. Come with me, please."  
  
Sephiroth gazed at her for a time   
  
"Is this..what you truly want?" he asked.  
  
She smiled.   
  
"Of course. Anything..for a friend."  
  
Friend..she called him friend! He had not heard that phrase in a long   
  
time, especially not used toward him.  
  
Sephiroth walked toward her, and took her hand.   
  
"I am..your friend?"  
  
A nod.   
  
"Always." Aerith said, and left it at that.  
  
Together, a strong light engulfed them   
  
And they vanished.  
  
***  
  
Notes: eh. This is one of my first fan-fics...Please review! 


End file.
